Join us for a one-day genealogy conference featuring special speakers Warren Blatt, Managing Director of JewishGen, and Duff Wilson, Senior Product Manager of Family Tree Maker at Ancestry.com. Warren Blatt will present the keynote session “Advanced Searching on Jewishgen.org”. He will give a strategic overview of key Jewishgen.org databases and teach you how to tailor your searching when seeking information on specific towns and surnames. Duff Wilson will teach both a beginning and advanced workshop on Family Tree Maker software.

A free Mini-Conference for Youth will be held from 1:25 pm – 3:40 pm. Students from sixth grade through high school are encouraged to attend. “Where is Great-Grandpa?: Introduction to Jewish Genealogy” will provide a lighthearted view of how to begin your detective work unearthing fascinating information about your forebears. “Exploring your Jewish Roots” will teach you how to successfully begin researching the who, what, where, when, and how about known and unknown members of your family. The presenters will be Robin Seidenberg and Harriet Rudnit, experienced genealogists and JGSI board members.

If you have questions or would like to volunteer at the conference please email conference@jgsi.org or call 312-666-01008:15-9:15 a.m. Registration and Refreshments

9:15-9:25 a.m. Opening Remarks

Keynote Speaker: 9:25-10:40 a.m.

Warren Blatt - Advanced Searching on JewishGen.org
A strategic overview of key Jewishgen.org databases with search tricks and tips. How to tailor your searching
when seeking information on specific towns and surnames in databases focused on countries, communities
and families. Examples may be included from the yizkor book translations, Kehilalinks, JRI-Poland, and
Belarus and Lithuanian databases, among others.

Session 1: 10:50-11:50 a.m.
1A. Genetic DNA: Making Sense of all the Tests and Test Results – Alvin Holtzman
Learn the differences between each type of test, how to interpret the results, and how to find
and determine possible relations with others.

1C. An Overview of Jewish Life in the Russian Empire’s Pale of Settlement – Elliot Lefkovitz
Traditional aspects of Jewish religious, socio-economic and intellectual life in the Pale, and why
these elements changed during the 19th century.

4A. Getting the Most out of Family Tree Maker (intermediate to advanced) – Duff Wilson
Learn concepts such as adding and organizing media, documenting sources, creating printed
output and using the Internet to grow your tree.

4B. Using Your Home Computer to Find Headstones and Obituaries – Alvin Holtzman
How to use on-line resources to find your ancestors' headstones and obituaries.

4C. An Introduction to Jewish Given Names – Warren Blatt
Practical issues for genealogical research, including name equivalents, nicknames, patronymics,
and Polish and Russian declensions.

FREE Mini-Conference for Youth1:25 p.m. through 3:40 p.m.
Two SPECIAL sessions for students • sixth grade - high school.
Speakers are experienced genealogists and JGSI board members.VIEW Youth Mini-Conference Flyer (PDF)
1:25-2:25 p.m.1Y. Where is Great-Grandpa?: Introduction to Jewish Genealogy – Robin Seidenberg
A lighthearted view of how to begin your detective work unearthing fascinating information
about your forebears.

2:40-3:40 p.m.
2Y. Exploring your Jewish Roots – Harriet Rudnit
Learn how to successfully begin researching the who, what, where, when, and how about known and unknown members of your family.